Forgotten Friendship
by Enchantm3nt
Summary: The Couslands visit Redcliffe where a young Arietta Cousland meets a young Alistair. Both hide who they really are while getting up to mischief together. [Mostly fluffy cuteness and childhood crushes.] Gift for Grey Warden Dragonborn! Warning: it is disgustingly sweet. Turn back if you don't want cavities.


_It has taken me an embarrassingly long time to write this gift fic, but it is finally done! Grey Warden Dragonborn, this is for you!_

 **Forgotten Friendship**

Arietta usually liked travelling with her family; she loved seeing the countryside while riding her pony next to her father and his men. But it was raining today, the sky dark and grey and miserable, so she was stuck in one of their fancy carriages with her brother and mother. She stared out of the window of their carriage with a sigh and pulled her coat closer to her chin.

They were heading to a castle some ways south of her home. Mother and father needed to meet with the Arl there for some talks, talks Arietta hadn't been told about because she was ' _too young to_ _understand'_ , but she wasn't too young to understand. She knew long words now. She even knew some words in other languages.

Father was always having 'talks' with people, it seemed. She pitied them in a way, if the talks he had with them were anything like the ones he had with Fergus and her when they did something naughty. His frowny face was kinda scary, and he could glare, unblinkingly for absolutely ages. She wasn't sure what this Arl had done or why he needed to be told off but it didn't sound like much fun. And she had no idea why she, Fergus and mother had to be dragged along, too, especially if she wasn't even going to be a part of the talks.

But at least they were out of Highever and away from all of the smelly boys there. She had told one of the boys in the city that she liked him, she had even brought him some flowers but he had thrown them in the dirt and laughed at her, saying that he wouldn't be interested in a noble cow (he had actually used a ruder word but mother always told her not to repeat such bad words). It would be good to get away from them all. Maybe she could even pretend to be a normal kid instead of nobility at this new castle. She might enjoy being 'normal' for a change.

"Darling, do sit up straight, you're slouching," her mother scolded from the seat opposite.

Arietta sighed. _Or maybe not_. She'd never be able to be normal with her mother watching her with the eyes in the back of her head all the time. She sat up straight and let her hands rest in her lap, as a proper lady should. "Sorry, mother," she said quietly.

Her mother gave her a small smile. "Always look your best, dear; it will save you from further embarrassment."

She knew about the mean boy; Arietta had cried and cried that night. "But nobody's around to see me!" she protested.

"I can see you," Fergus helpfully supplied, smirking slightly.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "You don't count, stupid."

"I can count perfectly well, thank you very much! One, two…three, four-"

"Fergus, we're all aware of how well you can count," their mother interrupted. She turned her attention back to Arietta. "You may think nobody is around to see but you are a noble, you will always be centre stage, and you never know when you might meet prince charming," her mother said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye that Arietta didn't quite understand.

"Boys are stupid, and I definitely don't want a prince."

 **…**

She always did like exploring, finding the secret places that only a few people knew about. The castle grounds were no different. There were so many secret passageways and hidden corridors, and outside there were secluded gardens and unused courtyards. The skies were still grey and moody looking and the ground was wet and slippery from all of the rain, but she didn't care. She was stuffed full of food and had been stuck inside for hours. Her brother had gone to the yard to train – or to show off, more likely – with the squires and other young boys, but Arietta had seen her brother best a dozen boys at Highever, it was unlikely to be any different this time. And it was so rare that she got to explore a castle as big as this, so she had slipped away, not caring if she got lost, only excited to see what she would find.

The Arl seemed nice enough. He had a big beard, bigger than her father could ever grow, but the Arl's wife was… whiny. Arietta didn't like her, and everyone else at the castle was boring and old. But at least the castle itself was impressive and exciting and _new_. Already she had found a massive library, a room full of huge tapestries depicting ancient battles and famous scenes, and she had seen the basements too, where the servants worked away, cleaning and cooking.

Finally, she had found her way to the grounds, outside in the wind and rain and cold, but she didn't care, the fresh air felt good as it washed over her face, cooling her skin and sweeping her hair away from her face. There weren't many people outside, so it was quiet, the only noise was the rain pouring down on the stone ground.

She headed down some big steps toward a fountain with a towering statue of Andraste; with the rain still falling it looked like she was weeping. Arietta stared up at the towering representation of the Lady, her own face getting just as soaked. A massive gust of wind saw her hood flying from her head and her hair was sent billowing around her face. She staggered, trying to get a handle on her hair and hood but she felt the wall of the fountain at the back of her legs too late, and the next gust of wind saw her toppling over it and into the freezing cold waters.

 **…**

Alistair had been watching her for a time, watching as she stared in awe up at the statue in the fountain. He wasn't sure who she was or why she was out here in the rain. Maybe she was doing what he was doing and hiding from the visiting nobles. It was better for him to stay away, out of the spotlight. Eamon had said these nobles were different, that he could be himself around them. It didn't matter if they were though, he preferred not to go near them.

And so he had found himself out in the gardens, in the cool air, sheltered under one of the balconies watching the rain pour down, or at least until the girl had appeared in her thick furs, hooded, wandering around the gardens as though she had never seen them before.

Her hood suddenly fell back from her head and the wind picked up her hair causing it to swirl and wrap around her face. She struggled against it, battling it and the strong winds. And before Alistair could yell out in warning, she was staggering back against the fountain and then falling into the waters beyond.

He ran to her, reaching her just as she sat up, sputtering in the water, shivering violently.

"Are you alright!?" he asked as he came to an abrupt stop at the fountain. She looked up at him and his mouth dropped open in awe. She had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Brighter than the sky on a clear day, bluer than a glistening lake, and they were staring up at him, wide and shocked and embarrassed.

"I will be once I'm out of this fountain," she, teeth chattering as she held out her hand for him to take.

She stared up at the scruffily dressed boy that had apparently come to her rescue; only he was just standing there, gawking at her instead of taking her hand. She frowned and cleared her throat. "You aren't going to help me out, then?"

He shook his head. "What?"

"Of the fountain?" she said, stating the obvious.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean-" He grabbed her hand instead of rambling on, and hauled her out of the fountain.

She shivered and started wringing out her coat and hair as the boy watched her. He was staring again and she couldn't help but frown a bit. At least he wasn't laughing at her, though. She sighed slightly, realising that she was soaked through and that her mother was going to wring _her_ out in an entirely different sort of way.

"Why are you staring at me?"

The boy blinked and shook his head; droplets fell down from his sandy hair and ran down his nose. He rubbed them away and cleared his throat. "Sorry," he said again. "You're very… wet."

Her frown deepened. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No!" he said quickly, his eyebrows shifting upwards in alarm. "We should get you inside, somewhere warm."

"Not back in the castle though, my mother will kill me if she sees me like this," Arietta replied.

"I know somewhere we can go," he said smiling slightly. He gave her his hand and she took it. "It's not far."

With that, they took off at a jog, rushing through the rain just as lightning flickered through the sky. He led her through a big creaky gate and out into another courtyard. Then stopped outside of a big wooden building and pushed the door open enough for them to squeeze in through it before he pushed it closed.

She stared up in awe at the big stable she had found herself in. Through the cracks in the wood she could just see the flashing lightning outside but, for the most part, the stable was dark and quiet. She could hear a few of the horses snorting and scuffing their hooves and she wandered over to one of their pens. A big brown horse poked her head out and blew in Arietta's hair, making her giggle as she stroked it.

"Up here," the boy whispered, motioning toward a ladder. She gave the horse one final pat before following the boy up to the second level. There was straw everywhere up here, all scattered across the ground, but there was also an unlit brazier, which the boy immediately went to. He rubbed two rocks together, making sparks fly from it and moments later there were orange flames lapping at the logs inside it. She stood next to it and took off her coat.

"I'll hang it up," he said, taking it from her. He draped it over a wire line that crossed the length of the barn and she smiled at him in thanks, hoping it would dry quickly. She rubbed her hands together in front of the fire, already feeling the warmth creeping back into her body. The boy was watching her again and she was starting to wonder if he was simple, or just didn't know many words despite him looking close to her age.

"I'm…" She realised that this boy had no idea who she was; she could be anyone to him. She smiled slightly. "I'm Ri, by the way."

"Ri?" he asked, a cute little frown forming between his brows. "That's your real name?"

"It's a nickname," she replied, shrugging a shoulder. "Does it matter?"

"… No, I suppose it doesn't. In that case, I'm Al."

She giggled slightly. "That's an old man's name."

"Is not," he said, glaring at her. "And Ri sounds like _pee_."

She let out a little snort of laughter which she quickly covered with her mouth, her eyes wide. Ladies do not _snort_ , her mother would scold her. The boy, Al, grinned.

"You just oinked like a pig!" he laughed.

"It was a _scoff_ ," she corrected, lifting her chin high even though her cheeks were tinged with pink. His grin only widened.

"It's okay, I think pigs are cute."

That made her cheeks flame more and she smiled coyly at the boy. "Is that why you live in the stable?" she asked, wanting to change the subject back to _him_.

His boots scuffed against the ground, his gaze lingering on the floor. "No," he said quietly. "I don't have much of a choice."

"Oh. Are you the stable boy then?"

"Sort of," he said with a slight frown. "I'm a boy in the stable, at least," he said with a slight smile returning to his face. She chuckled.

"Then I'm a stable girl, too." She looked around at the spacious area. "It's not so bad, actually. Is it only you who stays here?" The boy nodded.

"Well, that and the horses."

She nodded. "Do you look after them all?"

"There's a man who does it, too, but he sleeps in the castle, in the servant's wing," Al explained.

"Sounds boring," she said. "I'd much rather be out here."

He grinned. "Me too." They were quiet a moment with just the flickering fire and the crackling logs making any noise. "I haven't seen you in the castle before," he said.

"Do you know all the servants?" she asked with a brow arched. She really didn't want this boy to know she was a noble; people always changed when they knew what she was. She was fortunate she had slipped into her leggings, shirt and knee-high boots before going exploring so the boy had no reason to think she was someone rich and fancy.

"No…" he answered her, his voice sounding a bit suspicious. "Still, I would remember your face if I had."

She smiled, blushing. "Oh?"

"Mmm." He cleared his throat, his cheeks just as red as hers. "I'll definitely remember you after seeing you fall in that fountain," he said, smirking cheekily.

She shrugged. "I've never seen you before, either, and I won't forget how you just stood there staring like a fish while I froze, either," she teased back. His blush darkened and she took pity on him. "I serve the lord and lady visiting the castle at the moment," she explained/lied.

"Oh." He sound put out and she frowned.

"What?"

He ran a hand through his wet hair. "It just means you'll be leaving soon, won't you?"

"I suppose it does, yes."

They both got quiet after that, simply standing there, watching the flames.

Arietta suddenly looked up at him, grinning. "Then we should make the most of it while I'm here," she announced, making Al's eyes widen slightly, sparkling. "Will you show me how you look after the horses? I want to learn, seeing as I am a stable girl and all."

He smiled, nodding eagerly and led her back down the ladder.

It turned out, looking after horses was hard work. Arietta had been impressed with just how much the boy knew. He was a different kind of smart to her and he was much better with his hands than she was. And the horses and ponies were so beautiful. But the rain had eventually stopped pouring down from the heavens above outside, and Arietta had been forced to admit she should probably head back inside.

"I might be able to sneak out later," she whispered, smiling impishly.

"I'd like that," he said with a broad smile. She dipped her head to him, lifted her hood, and headed out into the cold afternoon air.

Al watched her leave, watched as she jogged back to the castle, the smile leaving his face. He wished he really _was_ just a stable boy, then he might be able to get transferred to be stable boy at the castle she worked at instead of Redcliffe. Even if the lord and lady she served were mean, at least he'd be able to spend more time with her. Here, he had no-one and everyone knew exactly who – _what_ \- he was and every single one of them treated him differently because of it.

But not her.

He sighed wistfully then closed the barn door.

 **…**

Arietta waited until she could hear her father's snores through the wall before she crept out of her bed and slipped into some thicker and warmer clothes. The castle was dark and quiet as she snuck out of her room and tip-toed down the corridor. A few times she had to hide in a side room as guards walked by, their armour rattling, before she was able to move on again. Eventually, though, she got back out to the courtyard, and more importantly, the stable.

Nobody answered when she knocked and she shifted on her feet, pulling the high collar of her coat closer to her face. She pushed on the door and it opened, so she stepped in and shut it behind her. She couldn't see Al on the lower level so she climbed the ladder, and found him asleep on a small cot, his sandy hair all ruffled and dribble on his chin. She smiled slightly. He looked cute. Her smile turned into a grin when she realised she could do anything she wanted to him while he slept.

She crouched down next to him, got her face just an inch from his and sucked in a deep breath. " _Al_!" she squawked in his ear. He awoke with a scream, eyes wide as he clutched his chest. She burst out laughing, falling to her knees in fits of giggles. Her laughter was cut short by a pillow smacking her right in the face and knocking her back on her bottom.

"Hey!" she complained as she rubbed her face, finding the boy scowling at her, cheeks flushed, arms folded.

"Hey _you_. I was sleeping!" he whined.

She started to giggle. "I know. You have dribble on your chin."

He rubbed at his face frantically, looking all affronted and flustered.

"What are you _doing_ here?" he asked her.

"I told you I'd sneak out again."

"Oh, so you did. I didn't think you'd come back…"

"Why? I liked spending time with you earlier."

He gave her a big smile, his cheeks flushing. "Same. I mean I liked spending time with you, not myself," he corrected, making her smile.

"So, what now?" she asked.

"Is it raining outside?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nope, it's quite warm actually."

He grinned. "Then come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the ladder. They ended up back outside, rushing through the gardens with the starry sky sparkling above them. "Through here," he said as he squeezed through a gap in the outer wall. Arietta frowned at him but he urged her to follow him, so she did. She gasped as she walked down the grassy bank, realising they were up on a cliff overlooking a massive lake. The waters were shimmering, reflecting the half-moon above. It was beautiful.

He pulled his coat off and placed it on the ground before sitting on it and patting the spot next to him. She smiled and joined him, feeling the warmth of his body close to hers.

"I like coming out here," he said, "It's one of the few places you can't hear Lady Isolde's shouting."

Arietta chuckled. "Her voice is annoying. I can't imagine how bad hearing her shout would be."

"It's horrible," he admitted. "All screechy. You can barely understand what she's even saying."

"I'm glad there's nobody like that at Highever," Ri said, shifting closer to Al.

"That's lucky," he sighed.

"Lucky for my ears, definitely," she mused, smiling.

He grinned at her.

There was sudden a cold wind whipping around them and Arietta shivered. The next thing she knew, Al had his arm around her shoulders and she was leaning into him, pressed against his body. Her smile widened.

 **…**

She squinted as she opened her eyes, wincing at the bright sunshine hitting her in the face. She jolted awake. _Sunshine!_ She was still out on the grassy bank, curled up next to Al, with him snoring softly next to her. She poked him in the ribs and he woke up with a cry on his lips.

"Oww!" he complained. "What was that for?"

"We stayed out all night!" she said, panicking.

"You have to get back to your Lord and Lady?"

"Yes!" she got up hastily, brushing the grass away from her clothes.

"Will I get to see you again?" he asked as he got to his feet. "Only… I like spending time with you," he mumbled.

She smiled. "I should be able to get away again later. Will you be in the stables?"

"Probably," he sighed.

"Then I'll come and find you," she promised.

He grinned. "You're really cute when you sleep, by the way," he teased.

She shoved him playfully. "You made a good pillow." His grin widened. "It's not a good thing," she moaned. "Means you're squishy."

"I'd rather be squishy than hard," he replied smugly.

She rolled her eyes. "See you later, Squishy."

"See you," he said with a wave.

 **…**

"Where have you been, young lady!?" her mother cried out as she tried to sneak back into her room, only to find them waiting inside for her.

"We were worried about you, Pup," her father said, frowning.

"Just out…" she mumbled.

"Out where?" her mother demanded. "This is a big castle and it isn't safe to just wander around it alone."

"I just wanted to see the gardens," she argued. "I'm fine."

"You should never disappear like that without first telling us, Pup. If something had happened to you, we wouldn't have known where you had gone or why. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she sighed. "Sorry."

"No running off like that again, you missed breakfast," her mother said, shaking her head and sighing.

"It's alright though, I saved you some," her father said, smiling as he passed her a bundle of breads and cheeses. She grinned at him.

"Thank you, papa."

"Bryce, how will she ever learn if you spoil her like that?"

"Would you rather she starves, love?"

"Of course not," her mother replied, tutting.

"I should get going, Eamon and I have much to discuss," he said as he leaned in and kissed mother on the cheek. "I love you."

Her mother smiled slightly. "I love you, too," she said, squeezing his hand.

"See you later, Pup. No running off, you hear?"

"I hear," Arietta said, exasperated.

He smiled. "Good," he said as he ruffled her hair.

She watched him head for the door before she sighed and flopped down into a chair. Her mother gave her 'a look' and Arietta sat up straight and crossed a leg neatly over one knee, making her mother nod in approval.

"Honestly, what would you do if a boy saw you looking like this?" her mother asked her as she began fussing with Arietta's hair.

"I wouldn't care," Arietta replied.

"Perhaps you should… there are boys here that could one day be your husband."

Arietta narrowed her eyes at her mother. "What boys?"

Her mother sighed slightly. "It was just a comment; you never know who you might end up marrying. I meant nothing by it, darling."

Arietta finished her breakfast and then spent the rest of the morning with her tutor, who had accompanied them south all so that Arietta wouldn't miss any lessons. Fergus, however, got to stay out in the yard training. It wasn't fair at all. Her tutor finally took a bathroom break and that's when Arietta snuck out again. She ran to the stable, not caring who saw her.

She burst in through the barn doors and found Al grooming one of the horses. He stared at her in surprise before smiling brightly at her.

"Saddle a horse," she said. "I want to go for a ride."

He blinked in surprise and then an impish little smirk spread across his lips. "We can take Lady Isolde's favourite pony."

She grinned. "Perfect."

 **…**

"Yah!" Ri shouted as she urged the pony to go faster.

She was a cute little thing with a long brown mane and brown and white fur. Al sat behind her, hands wrapped around her waist as he screamed at how fast they were going. Arietta just laughed, loving the way the wind whipped her hair about –although the way Al kept spitting, she assumed it was going in his mouth and that just made her giggle more.

It was really pretty in the Hinterlands, and there were big open fields for them to really pick up speed in, nothing like at all the winding and rocky paths back in Highever that stopped you getting really fast.

"Watch out!" Al cried out, his grip on her waist tightening as she brought them around a sharp bend.

"You are such a baby!" she laughed.

"Am not!" he squeaked, his voice breaking as she veered them around yet another sharp turn.

She gasped, suddenly noticing the people in the road. Their little pony came to a hard stop, and then reared. They were both thrown backward off her, onto the hard ground. Luckily, Arietta landed on Al so she wasn't hurt. He groaned at her as she rolled off of him, her eyes now watching the group of men very carefully. There were six of them, all in armour, and they had grabbed their pony by the reins, now trying to calm her down.

Arietta got to her feet, scowling. "That's our pony," she said accusingly. "Give her back."

The men chuckled, all of them glancing at one another with sinister looking smiles. A shiver ran down her spine but she held her ground, her chin high.

"You have no right to that pony," she said loud enough for the still-chuckling men to hear. Al was back on his feet, standing at her side, but she could sense his hesitation. He was scared again. She was too, but she knew better than to let it show.

"And what are you gonna do about it, little girl?" one with a big ugly hooked nose asked.

"Bet you stole this horse, didn't you? Little scrubs like you wouldn't be able to afford a pony as good as this," another with long greasy hair said.

Arietta hesitated. Technically they _had_ stolen it. She could admit who she really was but she knew better than to do that, too; it was safer to be a nobody, safer for them to think she didn't have coin or a wealthy family. Plus, Al would see her differently if he knew she was actually a nobleman's daughter, and she didn't want that. She liked being Ri the servant much better than she did Arietta the noble girl.

"Even if _we_ did steal her, you stealing her from us is not better," she replied.

"Ri, it's not worth it," Al said, grabbing her arm.

"Finders Keepers, little missy," a scarred man growled.

She pulled her arm free of Al's grasp and stepped forward. "You won't be saying that when Arl Eamon's men come looking for that pony and find _you_ with her," she said threateningly. "That's the Arl of Redcliffe, in case you didn't know that," she added.

"You're bluffing," the one with the ugly nose said.

"If you're so sure, you keep her. You should know though, that particular pony belongs to Lady Isolde, his wife, and her name is Blossom." The pony lifted her head, recognising her name and dragged her hoof across the dirt path, letting out a small grunt.

The men were looking to one another, obviously trying to work out if she was lying or not.

"Nah, fuck this," the greasy haired one snarled. "She's a lying little urchin, and do you know what we do to liars out 'ere?" he growled. He rushed forward and grabbed Arietta by the wrist; she yelped in surprise and pain, and tried to free herself of his grip. It was too tight.

"Let go of her!" Al cried, making the man laugh.

"You're even less threatening than this little girl here, boy," another laughed.

Al turned red, his scowl deepened and his jaw clenched. Then he was a blur of movement. He grabbed a rock, and the next thing Ri knew, the greasy haired one was crying out in pain as that rock got him between the eyes, and her wrist was free.

Another rock got the man holding their pony's reins right on the temple and Alistair rushed forward to get her. In one quick motion, he was on the pony's back, holding a hand out for her to grab. She took a hold of that hand and he hauled her up. Then they were off, all before the men could grab them again.

They charged up the hill, across a field, through some woodland, and then across another couple of fields before they finally slowed down, all three of them panting hard.

"We should rest her soon," Arietta said, not liking the way their pony was wheezing for breath.

Al nodded. "There's an abandoned mill near here, we can hide there?"

"Alright. Hopefully those ignoramuses don't follow."

"That's a big word," he teased, smiling over his shoulder at her.

She glared at him. "I know big words."

"Do you even know what ignoramus means?"

She huffed at him. "Of course. It means they're stupid, like you."

He snorted. "You're the one who tried to reason with bad guys."

"And it was working-"

"Them grabbing you was part of the plan then?" She poked him in the ribs and he yelped. "You could at least thank me instead of poking me!"

"I could have saved myself," she said stubbornly.

He laughed and she glared at his back. "The mill's up here."

Sure enough, a tall stone building appeared in the valley below them. It had been built next to a river, but only a trickle of water was left now. Al hopped off Blossom and led her toward the rotting wooden doors. With a big tug, one opened, and he led them both inside. It was very dark in the mill, but at least their pony would be able to rest inside here. Ari hopped off too and set about getting the pony some water to drink.

Once Blossom was happily munching on some old hay with some water in a bucket, Ari turned her attention back to Al.

"I could too have saved myself," she repeated.

"Those were bad men and you're just a girl," he said, frowning. "What would you have done? Flicked your hair at them?"

"No," she huffed. "I would have done this." She ran at him and knocked him to the ground, landing on top of him with a grunt. He stared up at her, blinking and she grinned.

"Told you I could handle myself."

"Those men were a lot bigger than me," he whined.

"So? Little people can still make big people fall, that's what my father always says."

"Maybe," he admitted. "But it helps if you're armed. You weren't."

She groaned. "You're such a boy, thinking fights can only be won with steel." She rolled off of him so she was lying on the stone in the discarded hay too. "Words can be just as good. That's what I would have tried some more with them."

"You mean before my daring rescue?" he asked, grinning lopsidedly at her.

She snorted. "Yes… before _that_."

"You really can't say it, can you? That I saved you." He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I can."

He chuckled some more. "That's still not saying it!"

She gave in, smiling slightly. "You saved me. Thank you," she said sincerely. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, her smile widening as his eyes bulged and cheeks blushed. "We can probably head back now; Blossom should be okay for a slow trot back." He nodded, still a little dazed and she giggled as she got to her feet.

 **…**

"Where have you been!? We had half the castle out looking for you!" her mother was shouting at her.

Arietta stared at the ground, eyes fixed on her feet.

"Pup, you said you wouldn't run off again." Her father sounded disappointed. She hated his disappointed voice.

"Even Fergus never behaved like this at your age," her mother went on to say. She was pacing around the room still. "Coming south was clearly a mistake, she's entirely forgotten how to behave like a lady."

"It would be worth it if she'd stick around long enough to meet the boy," her father said. Arietta perked her head up at that, frowning.

"You don't honestly think a marriage is feasible now, do you, Bryce? Lady Isolde was furious that her pony was stolen."

"It's not exactly Lady Isolde's choice-"

"No. It's mine," Arietta said, scowling. "And I don't want to marry some rubbish noble. I won't. Not ever. You can't make me."

"Arietta…" her mother tried.

"No. I want to marry for love, like in the bedtime stories you read me, not because you told me to."

Her father chuckled and looked to mother, smiling. "Our daughter is just as opinionated as we are, it seems, dear." Mother sighed. "I'll conclude things with the Arl. Ready the horses, I think it's past time we left, don't you?"

"Yes, I think that would be best," mother said.

"But-"

"No buts, young lady. You've caused enough trouble already."

Arietta pouted but didn't argue further.

"Start packing your things," mother said. "I'll be right here so you don't wander off again."

Arietta groaned and trudged over to her suitcase, looking longingly out the window. She could see the fountain where she met Al from here and she was suddenly filled with sadness at the thought that she might not get a chance to say goodbye to him before they left.

 **…**

Alistair's arse still smarted from the beating Isolde had given him for _helping that wild girl steal her prized pony_. It was worth it though, just to see Isolde's face go that red. He hoped Ri hadn't gotten into much trouble with her Lord and Lady for disappearing; he hoped they were nicer than Isolde was.

He grinned down at the rose in his hands. He'd just picked it in the gardens, a bright pink one, like the colour of Ri's lips. It was pretty, just like her. He knew girls usually liked flowers and even though she wasn't like most girls he knew – not that he knew very many – he hoped she'd like it.

He pulled his hood tighter to his face as it began to rain and headed back through the gates that led into the main courtyard and the stables. He stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed the line of carriages heading out of the gate. Those were the Highever carriages. Ri would be in one of those.

She was leaving.

He ran forward, still clutching that rose, and started looking in the windows of each of the carriages, desperately searching for her. It was pouring with rain now and he squinted, hoping to the Maker he'd spot her, or she him. Nearly all the carriages were through the gate though and his stomach sunk. He was too late. She was gone.

The door to one of the carriages suddenly flew open and out jumped Ri. Alistair stared wide-eyed at her, not believing his eyes as she ran through the rain, her coat billowing out around her.

"Al," she breathed as she reached his side, her cheeks rosy pink, like the flower in his hands. "I didn't think I'd get to say goodbye."

"Neither did I," he admitted. "This is for you," he said, feeling the blush creep up his own cheeks.

She grinned and took it as he handed it to her. She brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply, and smiled. "It's beautiful."

He smiled broadly.

"Pup!" a voice from the carriages called and Ri glanced over her shoulder, wincing.

"Just a minute!" She looked back at Alistair. "I'll try to visit again," she said. "But I don't know when that will be. I don't think Lady Isolde likes me very much."

"That makes two of us," Alistair replied, giving her a half smile even as the ache across his bottom returned.

"I won't ever forget you, Al."

"Nor I you, Ri."

She grinned and then leaned in and kissed him – on the lips! His eyes widened and he froze as her lips stayed touching his for the count of three. She pulled back, smirking, her hair a mess of wet strands hanging around her flushed face.

"Goodbye Squishy," she said with a wave. She turned away from him, still holding his rose and ran back to the carriages.

"Goodbye," he whispered to the rain.


End file.
